Cryptography

Pronunciation

• enPR: krÄ­ptŏgʹrÉ™fÄ“, IPA: kɹ̥ɪpˈtʰɒɡɹəfiː, /kɹɪpˈtÉ’É¡.ɹə.fi/
• Rhymes: -É’É¡rÉ™fiː

Origin

- + graphy + -

Full definition of cryptography

Noun

1. The discipline concerned with communication security (eg, confidentiality of messages, integrity of messages, sender authentication, non-repudiation of messages, and many other related issues), regardless of the used medium such as pencil and paper or computers.
• 1658:, Thomas Browne (first use in English),We might abate...the strange cryptography of Gaffarell in his Starrie Booke of Heaven.

Usage notes

Subfields include encoding, decoding, cryptanalysis, codes, ciphers, etc.

In many languages, though less so in English, cognates to "cryptology" are also used with the meaning given above, and even preferred.

Related to cryptography but distinct, steganography is the art and science of writing hidden messages in such a way that no-one apart from the sender and intended recipient even realizes there is a hidden message.

Derived terms

• anticryptography
• asymmetric cryptography
• public-key cryptography

Related terms

• crypt
• cryptology
• cryptanalysis